


Ghosts of the Past

by boredom



Category: Kaizoku To Ningyo, Kaizoku to Ningyo (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, Protective!Ikuta
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-17
Updated: 2014-11-24
Packaged: 2018-02-17 19:03:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 19,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2320106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boredom/pseuds/boredom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hisui is gravely injured during an attack on the ship. Desperate for help, Ikuta and the others take their friend to a small village. But does this village have some connection to Hisui's past? Will the Pirates be able to protect their mermaid while still getting him the help he needs?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I guess no one else has written for this fandom yet. I personally really like the manga so I will gladly write lots of fan fiction. This story should be somewhat long and dramatic. I'm planning around six chapters. No promises though. Have a great week my fellow Kaizoku to Ningyo fans.

It was surprising how calm and quiet the world could get. Once one got away from the land there were no noises to distract, no people to worry about, nothing but peace. Hisui thought that he would never come to love the middle of the ocean as much as he did. He thought he would feel trapped. In a tiny vessel such as the ship he now called home, there wasn’t a lot of space to move about. 

Hisui thought that he would hate the never-ending quiet as well. The fact that no people were around. Sure there was the occasional conversation aboard the ship. But there wasn’t a bustling city or a noisy jungle. There was just the meditative sounds of the waves gently slapping the sides of the ship. 

As Hisui stared out into the endless blue that stretched above, below, and all around him, he felt at peace. There was no feeling of confinement. There was no feeling of suffocation. Here, out in the ocean, Hisui finally felt free. Where the ocean met with the sky provided endless opportunities to explore new worlds and new things. Hisui felt free because he was free. The pirates of the ship went where they wanted and did what they wanted. And Hisui loved every minute of it. Of course, there were some problems with being on such a small vessel for such a long period of time. Hisui often found his thoughts wandering to places he’d rather forget. Mainly, to the time before he was on this ship. 

His village, his cage, sometime just being where there was nothing else was enough to make Hisui start to panic about his life. He was sure Ikuta would never sell him to anyone. The man wouldn’t even let the mermaid sell his hair! And Hisui trusted Ikuta with his life. His hands were always there, reaching out for Hisui to grab onto should the young mermaid be in any danger. But Hisui’s village didn’t want to sell him at first either.

Hisui shook his head. It wasn’t fair to compare Ikuta to those people. In his village, Hisui was only treated slightly better than stray dogs. He would often get the scraps from the table, or a place to stay in exchange for some labor. But he was just as trapped in that village as he was in that cage. The people did just enough to ease their consciences for the poor orphan. Hisui was never really treated badly, save for one man who beat him with a wooden plank when he was about eight, but Hisui never felt cared for or loved like he did now. No, it wasn’t fair to even think of Ikuta on the same field as those people. 

Hisui hated his life before getting stolen by the pirates. Maybe not as much as when he was literally treated like a doll. But Ikuta always did his best to make sure Hisui was cared for. Everyone on the ship cared for Hisui. The boy wasn’t worried that another member of the crew would sell him because they were all like a big family on the ship. They would always be there for Hisui. 

“What are you doing up there?” Ikuta shouted from behind Hisui. Hisui frowned and turned to the captain.

“I’m not up that high. I won’t fall,” he muttered. There was a pile of boxes that had been set up on the ship. Since Ikuta wasn’t letting Hisui climb the ropes, he figured the boxes were a safe bet. He should have known better. While he did feel safe in this environment, he also felt like a little child sometimes. Hisui smiled to himself. He had often heard the children of the village complaining about how their parents and older sibling treated them like children and how they could take care of themselves. Hisui always thought they were exaggerating, but now he wasn’t so sure. It actually made him almost happy that Ikuta treated him like a child. He was still annoyed at the fact that the stupid bear didn’t think he could do anything without getting injured. But he was also happy that he was getting these experiences. 

"I think your going to fall and break your arm," Ikuta said. Hisui turned to see the man with his hands on his hips. This was probably what mothers looked like when scolding their children. Ikuta caught Hisui’s eye and grinned. "We wouldn't want to lose the only beautiful thing on this ship." Hisui blushed and turned away. 

"Stupid bear," he muttered to himself upon hearing chuckling. Hisui was about to defend his ability to sit on a box without falling over when a gust of wind came up and blew him off the tall box. Hisui heard Ikuta gasp as Hisui yelped in surprise. Ikuta had probably launched himself forward to catch him. But Hisui didn’t bother to try and figure out. Instead, he was cursing the wind for proving Ikuta’s point. Sometime, Hisui was convinced the universe only existed to prove Ikuta’s points. 

Hisui felt himself crash into Ikuta’s chest as the man’s arms went to wrap around the teen. The two fell to the ground and landed with an “oomph”. Hisui groaned and glared at the direction the wind had originated from. He felt Ikuta trying to sit himself up and scrambled off the man. Ikuta chuckled and rubbed his head where it had come into contact with deck. 

"Told you so," he said, a smile still present on his face. “Are you alright?” he asked, slightly more serious. 

“Fine,” Hisui said, pouting at his bad luck. Ikuta continued to laugh while Hisui pushed himself off the deck and stomped away. It really was a sad testament to Hisui’s ability to take care of himself when even the smallest of breezes could blow him off a crate. Hisui made his way up to were Dom was and looked out over the ocean. Apparently he had watched the entire exchange as the man was shaking with laughter.

"We only nag because we care," the navigator joked, patting Hisui on his head. Hisui muttered a reply and continued to gaze out into the distance. "We’ll be reaching the next port here in about three days though. We ‘ll be able to stock up on some supplies. Maybe Ikuta will let you wander around," Dom said, hoping to try and cheer the kid up. Hisui nodded and continued to stare off into the sunset. He doubted that. The past few times Hisui had wandered off had led to him being kidnapped by someone. He was surprised Ikuta hadn’t put him on a leash yet, to be honest. 

Hisui sighed and traced patterns into the wood, trying to stave off boredom. The ship had been cleaned. Dinner had been cooked. Laundry had been done. Now all he had to do was wait until he could sleep. Hisui looked up to see the brilliant colors painting the sky. Fantastic reds, oranges, and purples. It truly was an amazing sight. He still liked the sunrise better. Though that was probably all because of Ikuta. The bear had woken him up a few more times and let Hisui sit there and watch it with him. He always made Hisui promise to not tell anyone he had been up in the crows nest. They had always shared a blanket and watched the sun rise together. It made Hisui feel more happy than just about anything else. It wasn’t fancy or complex. It was something that him and Ikuta did together that made Hisui feel safe.

Hisui couldn’t sit there and think about Ikuta for very long, though. There was a dark shape, too small to be land. Besides, Dom had said there wasn’t a whole lot around here before the next port. Hisui had a bad feeling that this was a ship. A ship that was probably going to attack them. 

"Dom," he said. Dom looked up and walked towards Hisui. "I think there's a ship out there," Hisui explained, pointing at the dark mass that was looming in the distance. 

Dom nodded and called up to Jean. "Can you get a better look at what that thing is out there?" he asked. 

"No flag.” Hisui heard. That made the pit of his stomach drop. There was something ominous about the ship. It was making him jittery and a little scared. Hopefully the two would pass right by each other without a lot of trouble. 

"What's going on here?" Ikuta asked, walking up to the deck. 

"Hisui spotted a ship in the distance. There’s no visible flag," Dom explained. Ikuta nodded. Hisui knew what was coming next. It happened every time there was even a hint of danger.

"Hisui, come with me," Ikuta said. Hisui sighed and followed the man to the captain’s cabin. 

"You don't need to lock me in your cabin," Hisui muttered. Ikuta sighed and ran his hand through his hair. 

"How many times do we have to have this conversation?" he asked. "You can't fight. I know you want to help but if you think about it, you would be in the way and be a distraction. We would be more worried about you rather than keeping ourselves safe," Ikuta explained. He sat Hisui on the bed and ruffled the boy's hair. 

"We don't even know if they're dangerous or not. They could just pass right by us and not even look our way!" he exclaimed.

"That might be true. But I don't want to take any chances. If you're down here and fighting does start, that's one less thing to worry about." Ikuta said. He gave Hisui one last smile before closing the door and shouting some vague orders at the crew. Hisui laid back on the bad and sighed. He could feel the ship starting to turn ever so slightly so as to avoid the other ship. He did understand where Ikuta was coming from. He didn't know how to handle a sword or a gun. All Hisui had was a measly dagger that was only supposed to be used in emergencies. But Ikuta never even bothered to teach him how to fight. Hisui felt as if the man was just trying to keep him from fighting for as long as possible. Ikuta was just trying to protect him. Hisui knew that. But that still didn’t stop the boy from feeling slightly annoyed that he couldn’t do anything to help.

A blast from a cannon caused the boat to vibrate. It didn’t feel as though it had hit the boat, but it had been close. More shouting from the deck and more cannon blasts had proven the ship wasn’t friendly. Soon, there was clanging of swords, gunfire, shouting, and other noises of an intense fight. All Hisui could do was hope that his friends were safe. It wasn't fair that he couldn't even help with the fighting. Perhaps later he could help bandage up some wounds. 

Another strangled shout meant that someone was killed. Hisui could feel his heart beating a mile a minute as he waited, breath held, for the fight to be over. What had he been thinking? Ikuta was right, Hisui wasn’t cut out for fighting. He wanted to help, but the thought of being up there in the commotion was scary. The thought of having to fight for your life and kill people made Hisui feel sick. The boy took some deep breaths and attempted to calm himself. Maybe it wasn't Ikuta's fault that Hisui hadn't learned to fight. Maybe it was the fact that Hisui didn't want to really fight that was keeping him form doing anything. 

Finally, it stopped. The door opened to reveal Ikuta. There were a few cuts on him, but otherwise he looked fine. 

"You can come out now. We won," the man said. He was smiling but didn't seem too pleased with himself. Ikuta was kinder than most people Hisui had met, and he was a pirate. A type of person Hisui had been taught to fear. And yet, these pirates were the only people to treat Hisui like a human and not like a possession or animal. These pirates weren’t monsters. They were good men.

"Is everyone else alright?" he asked. He was pretty sure no one was dead. Ikuta would have been more torn up if that was the case. 

"Wood's got a pretty nasty cut. But other than that, we're all fine," Ikuta explained. He wiped some blood off his sleeve and looked out at the ship that was sailing away. Hisui didn’t want to ask how man had died for the other people. Ikuta would probably lie to keep Hisui safe.

“I’ll start cleaning thing up, then,” Hisui said, trying to lighten the mood. Ikuta nodded and patted Hisui on the head. The men were starting to clean up the destruction that had been had around the ship. Various things were damaged and need to be repaired. Hisui could help with some of the things, like patching up the sails. But this attack had put the crew behind schedule. They had enough food to last almost a week at sea. But that didn't mean the crew wanted to sit there with barely any food in their bellies. And if another disaster happened, like a sudden change in weather, the crew would be screwed. 

Hisui went about the ship, trying to do his part when a glint of metal caught his eye. He turned just in time to see a man from the opposing ship raise a gun and point it straight at Ikuta. The man was bleeding and looked as if he was about to die. This was his one last act of resistance. Hisui may not have known a lot about the world. But he knew that dying were often reckless and willing to do anything to get the last laugh. Hisui didn’t remember making the conscious decision to protect Ikuta. But his feet were moving on their own accord. He was leaping over obstacles, trying to get to Ikuta. The no one seemed to notice Hisui’s panic as he sprinted towards the captain. Ikuta had his back turned and the dying man was too focused on aiming to be worried about Hisui.

"Ikuta!" he shouted as he launched himself at the captain. Ikuta turned just in time to see the man raise his gun. Before he even had time to register, a shot went off and Hisui was thrown into his arms. Everything seemed to blur for Hisui was he slowly went to the ground, pressed against Ikuta’s chest. Once again Ikuta had reached out and caught Hisui. Only this time, it was Hisui who was rescuing Ikuta. A searing pain in his abdomen told him that he had gotten shot. There was a loud ringing his ears as well. Hisui tried to keep his eyes open but found it difficult to concentrate on anything. It was like his brain had turned to putty. Hisui looked up and focused his attention just long enough to see Ikuta’s face full of rage and pain. /I wonder why?/ Hisui thought to himself as he sank into unconsciousness.


	2. Chapter 2

The moment Hisui’s body hit Ikuta, everything seemed to slow down. Ikuta’s arms acted on their own accord, wrapping Hisui in a tight embrace and protecting him from hitting the hard deck. The warm solid weight of the boy’s body pulled Ikuta down to the ground. Though, maybe it was his own legs that were unable to hold his weight anymore. Everything felt as though it had been magnified a thousandfold, yet Ikuta couldn’t focus on any of it. He felt pain shoot through his knees as they hit the deck. It felt as though his bones had shattered upon the small bodies impact with his own. The world seemed to stop. All that echoed was the gunshot that had been meant for him. That gunshot that resonated through the air, wood, and water. Its vibrations ingrained deeply into Ikuta’s subconscious. He doubted there would be time where he wouldn’t hear the bang of an explosion, the sound of Hisui falling into his arms. Muffled by the clothing, but still there. The smell of gunpowder and blood. The sun beating down and making the world hotter by the minute. Sweat pouring off his brow. Everything was ingrained in Ikuta’s mind. And it would never go away.

Ikuta let out a cry. He couldn’t hear it over the resounding gunshot that played in his ears like it was on some sort of loop. Hisui’s cry, gunshot, the soft thump of Hisui’s body hitting Ikuta’s. Over and over again without fail. And now, to add to the record was his own scream that tore from his lungs and was released into the world. His own voice, making the sound of someone who was in more turmoil than any person should have to go through. 

With shaking hands, Ikuta gently turned Hisui over in his arms. The boy’s eyes were opened for a second, trying to comprehend what was going on. They were searching Ikuta’s face, appearing confused about why Ikuta seemed to be in so much agony. Then, his eyes slipped closed and his head fell completely back. Ikuta tried to choke out Hisui’s name, but could the word seemed stuck in his throat, fighting to get out but unable because of fear and pain. Hisui’s white shirt was beginning to stain red with blood. Ikuta could see the spot getting bigger as blood continued to pour out. 

Ikuta could have stayed in this silent world forever. His body was too numb to try and pull him out. But a gentle shake was all Ikuta needed to be at least partially pulled from the repetitive noise running through his ears. Hisui’s cry, gunshot, the soft thump of Hisui’s body hitting Ikuta’s. Somewhere out of Ikuta’s sight, he heard Jean roar. The pain seemed equal to Ikuta’s. He could hear other members of the crew shouting and slowly the blur of action came back to Ikuta. The chaos of the ship. The rocking of the boat. It was all there. Ikuta could see Wood holding the enemy by the neck. He appeared to be shouting something, but Ikuta couldn’t be bothered to listen. Once again, Dom shook his shoulder gently. Ikuta turned towards him. 

"It didn’t' go all the way through," the navigator explained. "We need to get him somewhere so I can take the bullet out. I can’t heal him out here.” Ikuta was aware that his head was bobbing a “yes”, but he was too numb to consciously do it. His entire body was separate from his mind. It was still moving to try and heal Hisui. To try and protect Hisui. It wasn’t his mind that made the decision but rather his muscles to pick Hisui up and carry him across the ship. Ikuta’s mind spared a glance at the small child in his arms. Because, that was what Hisui was, a child. And now, there was an ugly red stain seeping through his shirt, getting smaller by the minute. 

This was like Ikuta and Hisui’s first meeting. Hisui jumping onto Ikuta and Ikuta carrying him back to the ship. Both times held an uncertain future. Both times were shocks to Ikuta’s system. That split-second decision he had had to take Hisui with him had never been thought through. Ikuta never meant to add a mermaid to the crew. But, if he had seen Hisui in that cage. If he had actually gotten to see the mermaid on display, Ikuta would have done the same thing. He would have stolen Hisui away, kept him from feeling like a possession. That’s why he went there in the first place, to free the kid. It may not have been on the forefront of his mind, but Ikuta knew that selling and buying people, no matter how well they’re treated, is a horrible thing. He had gone to that mansion with one purpose: to free Hisui. And now, now he was carrying his charge to his chambers in order to heal a wound that should have been on Ikuta. 

Despite the fact that Ikuta couldn’t even feel his body, his arms were steady enough to lower Hisui to the bed. Gentle hands positioned the boy to be comfortable and fingers ran through Hisui’s hair lovingly, leaving streaks of red on the white locks. But these weren’t Ikuta’s hands. He was merely watching them, trapped inside his mind. But Hisui was still breathing, and that was good. His heart was still beating. He wasn’t dead yet. 

But what if Hisui didn’t make it? What if Hisui slipped away, in pain and scared? The very thought, though a brief one, caused Ikuta to inhale sharply. His heart skipped a beat and he began to sweat again. The thought of not having Hisui was too much to bear. Ikuta didn’t want to go through that. Not again.

Dom tore off Hisui's shirt and began looking through the wound. Morbid curiosity made Ikuta stare at the wound. It mesmerized him. The mark on the lower abdomen was seeping and oozing blood. Every time Dom would wipe away some, more would take its place. The skin surrounding the black hole was turning an ugly shade of blue and yellow. The skin was shredded in an almost perfect circle, rippling outwards to try and absorb some of the shock of the bullet. The sight caused Ikuta’s stomach to churn and his head to spin. His vision became fuzzy and his palms were sweating. Everything was too hot he just wanted to rip his clothes off. He could almost taste the bile making its way up through his esophagus and into his throat. 

His days in the army had given Ikuta sights of much uglier wounds. Things that had become infected. Bones that were literally sticking out of the skin. But when it was Hisui who was lying there with a bullet in him, everything seemed much worse. Everything was much worse. Seeing the crimson blood contrast the pale skin, it was too much. 

Ikuta was beginning to have conflicting feelings. He wanted to sit there, holding Hisui’s hand and stroking his hair. But he also wanted to run forty white-hot knives through the gunman’s body. Slowly, so as to ensure his death would be a painful one. In the end, Ikuta stayed. Whether it was because his legs wouldn’t move or because Ikuta just wanted to be there with Hisui, he didn’t move from his chair. He felt sick to his stomach, but he stayed. He listened to Hisui’s sharp inhalations, signals of his pain. He wiped the sweat from Hisui’s brow and held Hisui’s small hand in his own. Neither man said anything, the room a silent fortress of baited breath and prayers. It had been awhile since Ikuta had prayed. But now, he begged for the heavens to not take Hisui away from him. It made him feel helpless and scared, but he still sat there and begged. There was a knock at the door. 

"Captain," it was Jean, "What should we do with the enemy?" he asked. His voice wasn’t shaking but the locked jaw and hard eyes showed that Jean was angry. Ikuta wanted to hurt this man, torture him until he begged for death. But Hisui wouldn't want that. He would want Ikuta to let the man go and let him see another day. The kid was kind like that. But he was also unconscious and Ikuta wasn't feeling charitable. He wanted the enemy to feel pain. He wanted Hisui to be avenged. 

"Kill him," he growled. Jean nodded and left. Ikuta stroked Hisui’s forehead. He hoped the men would provide the enemy with a violent and brutal death. 

"Captain," Dom said, calling Ikuta from his rather violent thoughts. "I've done all I can. Hopefully he’ll heal quickly and then we can get him some actual help at the next port. " Dom explained. Ikuta felt a mixture of relief and fear. Hisui wasn’t out of the woods yet. He needed more help. But, the trouble lay in the distance to the next port. 

"The next port is three days away. Is there anything closer?" he asked desperate to get Hisui some better medical treatment. Dom stroked his chin and attempted to think of a solution.

"I think there is a small village about a day from here. We should be able to get there by dusk tomorrow if the winds and currents are good." he replied. 

"Set course for it," Ikuta muttered. 

"Captain, this is a small village. They may not be able to treat Hisui. And they might not take well to strangers. " Dom warned. Ikuta banged his fist against the wall, causing the man to jump. 

"We have to try!" he shouted. Dom looked at the captain before nodding. 

"I'll let the men know." he said before exiting the cabin. Once Dom was gone, Ikuta broke down. He didn't cry, he hadn't since… she had died all those years ago. But he couldn't help but feel like he was sobbing. His throat constricted. His eyesight became blurry. He looked at Hisui's ashen face and labored breathing. Ikuta reached out one of his hands, still covered in Hisui's blood, and laid it gently on the white bandage on his lower abdomen. It was sticky with blood. A horrible sensation. Ikuta could barely comprehend Hisui’s pain. He had never been injured this badly before. Hisui would pull through, Ikuta told himself. Hisui was strong, much stronger than anyone gave him credit for. Ikuta felt as though all his energy had drained from his body. The front he had put up for the past hour or two was now gone. He leaned forward, putting his head in his hands. 

"Why? Why did you do it?" he asked. "Idiot. You are a complete and utter idiot," he chuckled. The laughs turned to sobs as the barrier broke. Ikuta may not have cried in several years. But now he couldn’t stop the tears. "If you die, I will drag you back from the afterlife and kill our myself," Ikuta threatened. Hisui didn't stir. His temperature awes already rising and Ikuta could tell that a fever was starting to come on. 

Hopefully the wound wouldn’t' become infected. Ikuta knew that once the wound became infected, Hisui’s chances for survival were lowered. He had to make sure that Hisui Ikuta sank back in the chair. When Hisui was captured, Ikuta could do stuff. He could run after the bad guy and make him pay. There were people that he could hurt in order to get his Hisui back. But, injured like this, Ikuta could do nothing. All he could do was sit there and hope that Hisui healed.


	3. Chapter 3

The sun had gone beneath the horizon. It had left a purplish-blue glow in the sky, making so there was no need for other light just yet. There were wisps of clouds scattered throughout the sky, hiding the moon for the time being. A small breeze ruffled through the air. It caused little ripples to move through the water. Creating a patter that could never be recreated. The only sounds heard were the occasional call of a bird, and the splash of row boats. The shore was unwelcoming with large, jagged rocks protruding from its shallow depths. Because of this, the ship had to anchor far away from the small inlet. Now, a single rowboat made its way through the still waters, towards the village that would hopefully save a valued member of the crew. 

It appeared to be a small town. From what Ikuta could tell by the fading light, there were only a few scattered houses in the inlet. Some were tucked away in the trees. Behind rocks. He could also see several fishing boats lining the shore. Some were on the sand for repairs. Other bobbing peacefully in the waters. A few lights were starting to come on, as well as an outdoor fire here and there. The sun may have gone down, but the villagers were not asleep just yet. 

Ikuta sat there in the small, wooden boat. Hisui was still clutched in his arms. In the twenty-four hours that the boy had been injured, Ikuta had not left his side. The other members of the crew would filter in and out of the cabin. Each checking to see if Hisui was still breathing. Some scolding him for his stupidity. Others begging him to wake up. Ikuta wasn’t numb anymore. He was drained mentally and physically. It felt as though the entire world had come crashing onto his shoulders and now he was the only one who could keep it up. It continually pressed down on him. Ikuta was stuck, trying to do his best. But he still couldn’t help but feel like a failure. But even with these thoughts, he would not allow Hisui to become any worse. It was his job to protect the boy. And even if he didn’t manage to do it perfectly all the time, he still had to keep Hisui alive, no matter what. 

No one said a word as the paddles continually slapped the water, bringing them closer to their destination. There was only a small number of them, so as not to scare the locals. Everyone had wanted to come, but Ikuta had enough sense to only bring Jean, Wood, and Dom to shore. It didn’t escape Ikuta’s notice how Jean would occasionally rub Hisui’s leg. Or how Dom would continue to glance at the kid. It was as if a spell had been cast on them though. Something heavy had been placed in their throats, prohibiting speech. The only noise was the water. The only light was the fading sun and cloud-covered moon. 

Ikuta reached down and brushed his fingers through the dyed hair. Jean managed to color the hair before they hopped into the boat. Ikuta didn’t want to risk any villagers trying to take Hisui for themselves. He was not going to lose this kid again. Even if the villagers did find out, it would at least by Ikuta time to get Hisui’s wounds healed. 

It was at about 300 yards that Ikuta finally heard a shout. He couldn’t help but wonder what had taken the people so long to spot the small ship. Not that he was complaining. They didn’t need any more trouble. Several more shouts followed the first. The people were still too quiet for him to hear them properly. Ikuta decided to look up and see how many people had gathered. It appeared to be a fairly descent sized crowd. They didn’t appear to be ready to fight. Though, one rowboat with only four men wasn’t much of a threat. They were probably curious as to what was going on. Ikuta just prayed that they wouldn’t be xenophobic and allow them to get help for Hisui. 

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the boat lodged itself onto the shore. Ikuta could hear the rippling murmurs going through the small crowd. They were standing a far enough away from the men so that they could run if they needed to. It appeared as though the crowd was made up entirely of men. Understandable. You wouldn’t want women and children to be caught in the middle of a violent conflict. Ikuta gritted his teeth and pressed Hisui closer to his body. You wouldn’t want that, but sometimes women and children still got caught up in violent things.

Jean and Wood hopped out of the boat. Their shoes splashing into the water. Jean steadied the boat while Wood helped Ikuta stand and get out without dropping Hisui. Ikuta felt his feet sink into the soft sand. His boots becoming soaked as waves lapped up against his legs. He took a deep breath and stepped towards the crowd. A hush fell over and Ikuta was left with only the wind rustling through the trees. 

Normally, he wouldn’t mind speaking with people. He was handsome, charming, and chivalrous. He could normally talk his way out of any situation. But, normally he wasn’t holding the body of someone he held dear. Luckily, Dom was there to do what Ikuta couldn’t.

“What do you want?” a man asked. Ikuta scanned the crowd and found the owner of the voice. The voice held no fear and neither did the man, it appeared. He was standing in front of the crowd. Right in the middle. His stance was tall and strong. Even if he appeared to be on the thinner side, there was a strength in his stance that told Ikuta he wasn’t afraid to fight. To kill. He was more than likely the leader of the village.

“We don’t have anything for you to steal. Go search the town yourselves. If you must,” another called. His voice shook slightly. He was standing behind some other men, peaking from out around him. Dom stepped forward. 

"Please, we mean you no harm. Pirates attacked our ship yesterday and one of the crew members was shot. He needs help," Dom explained. He gestured to Hisui, who was mumbling something, reaching up to grab Ikuta's collar. It wasn’t the entire truth, but the villagers didn’t need to know that they were pirates as well. Another whisper swept through the crowd. The first man who spoke walked up to Ikuta and examined Hisui himself. The moon peaked out from behind the clouds, but it still wasn’t enough light. 

“Bring me a torch,” he commanded. Someone handed him a torch, which he promptly lowered to Hisui’s limp body. Ikuta pulled back, afraid that the light would hurt Hisui. 

“I won’t hurt him,” the leader said. Ikuta nodded and let Hisui be examined. 

“ We just need a place to stay so I can treat him better. He’s lost a lot of blood and his temperature has been rising steadily since he was shot,” Dom said, almost pleading. It could have been the trick of the light, but Ikuta could have sworn that the leader’s eyes widened a bit upon seeing Hisui’s face. Ikuta furrowed his brow and studied the man. He didn’t say anything. But Ikuta was sure that there was a look of shock upon seeing Hisui. 

“I think he needs Martha to look after him. Follow me,” the leader commanded. He straightened up and marched off the beach. 

“Luka!” the scared man gasped. “You can’t honestly trust these people?” The leader, Luka, paused and whispered something into the man’s ear. Ikuta glanced at Jean upon seeing this reaction. Jean caught Ikuta’s eye with a questioning look. It appeared he didn’t trust these people either. 

“Are you sure?” the man asked. Luka shook his head. 

“The child needs to be looked at by Martha. We won’t turn away one so young.” And with that, he continued to march off the beach. “You all can get back to your work,” he said, not turning to his men. Ikuta and the others marched after. Ikuta couldn’t help but feel as though he was being studied. A few of the men had started back to their homes. But the majority were still there, staring at the small group. Ikuta didn’t like where this was going. 

It was a small but well-groomed path up to a hut Ikuta assumed was Luka’s. It was also small. Only slightly bigger than the rest of the houses. It was placed between a small cluster of trees, almost blocking the front door from the sea. Inside was fairly nice. The walls were sturdy, keeping it cool in the day and warm at night. There appeared to be two rooms. One for sleeping and one for cooking and other activities. What caught Ikuta’s eye was a beautiful gold bracelet that lay innocently on the table. It appeared to be high quality, and fairly well taken care of. It might be an heirloom, but something about the way it was carelessly tossed on the table made Ikuta doubt it. If the villagers were afraid of a pirate attack, shouldn’t Luka have put the jewelry away if it was so precious? Instead, it was left on the table as if it were a wooden spoon. Something wasn’t adding up.

“Put him on the cot. Over there,” Luka said, lighting some candles. Ikuta gently laid Hisui on the bed and turned to get a better look at Luka. He was in his forties. His hair was thinning on his head and wrinkles on his face were starting to add up and become noticeable. His face was long and narrow, his eyes were an icy blue. What interested Ikuta the most, was a gold ring he wore on his finger. Another precious treasure where there shouldn’t be one. This was a small village. It probably didn’t even have an alliance to any one empire. These people should be barely scraping by. Yet there were two expensive items carelessly flaunted towards Ikuta. 

“I’m sure you heard, but just in case, my name is Luka. I’m the leader of the village,” Luka continued. 

“Ikuta. I’m the captain of the ship,” Ikuta said. He heard a knock on the door before a woman pushed through it. He assumed this was Martha. 

“Jeremiah said the boy was shot,” she said, making her way towards Hisui. Ikuta didn’t miss the expensive silk that she had draped around her shoulders. He caught Jean’s eye once again and gestured towards the bracelet. Jean nodded and picked it up casually, seeing if it was as real as it look. Wood noticed and stepped closer to Jean, making sure he wasn’t seen by the two villagers. 

"Yes, the bullet didn't go all the way through, though," Dom said. Martha nodded and began unwinding the bandages from Hisui’s torso. Ikuta ran his hand through Hisui’s hair and watched the Martha and Luka carefully. Martha didn’t seem surprised that Hisui was here. That didn’t help Luka’s suspicions.

Martha removed the last of the bandages and began examining the wound. “Well, the bleeding seems to have stopped. When was he shot?” she asked. 

“Yesterday,” Ikuta answered. Jean put the bracelet back on the table and gestured towards Ikuta. The bracelet was real. Real gold. Real rubies. Real expensive. Ikuta jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned and realized it was Luka, staring at him with kind eyes.

“Don’t worry, we deal with injuries like this all the time. Pirates and whatnot attack us. But it’s the fishing accidents that really give Martha here enough work,” he chuckled. His eyes flitted back down the Hisui’s thin form. Ikuta nodded and took Hisui’s hand in his own. Luka’s proximity made him feel unnerved. Something wasn’t right here. 

“He seems to be a bit small to be working on a ship,” Luka said. Ikuta didn’t miss how he tried to make his voice sound casual. Martha was busy digging around in her bag. She pulled out a jar and began dabbing it on the wound. Dom laughed.

“Well, Hisui’s part of the family.” Ikuta looked at Luka just in time to see his eyes widen and his hand slip to the ring on his finger. “He doesn’t do a lot of the physical stuff. But we’ve never had a better cook,” Dom continued. Ikuta continued to watch as Luka regained his composure. 

"How long has he been on the ship with you?" Luka asked. His voice sounded like a man who was trying to keep excitement out of his speech. His words were catching in his throat, as if to full of hope to be let out. Ikuta noticed his eyes flicking towards Wood and Jean, who were standing there innocently. Luka’s eyes narrowed, sensing a possible obstacle.

"About six months," Jean said. Luka smiled, baring his teeth. His eyes narrowed and became cold and calculating. Ikuta needed to get Hisui out of here. Now. Something was up with this man. Ikuta thought back to everything Hisui had told him about his past. He grew up in a village. A small village. A village like this. He was also sold for a lot of money to a governor. Ikuta would bet his life that some of the things Hisui was sold for happened to be jewelry and other valuable items.

The door once again opened. Ikuta and the others turned to see a rather large man, tanned from working on a boat, standing in the doorway. 

“Ah, Jeremiah, how are you?” Luka asked. Jeremiah said nothing but continued to stand in the doorway. They were blocking their escape. Ikuta couldn’t take Hisui now. There was no where for them to go. Ikuta’s heart started pounding. He had to stay calm. He had to make sure that these people didn’t know that Ikuta knew who they were. Jean, Wood, and Dom had obviously felt as boxed in as Ikuta, since they were now standing up, looking ready to run at the command. 

“Do you think we could stay a few days and stock up?” Ikuta asked. Everyone stared and looked at him. Jean was gesturing to Jeremiah frantically. Ikuta glared at the man and turned back to Luka.

“We’ve been out at sea for so long and we lost a lot in the fight. Besides, it would give time for Hisui to heal up before we sail off again,” he continued. 

Luka blinked at Ikuta before smiling warmly. “I suppose that would be alright. Be warned, all we really have is fish,” he laughed. Ikuta smiled back at the man.

“I’m sure whatever you have to offer will be fine,” Ikuta said. With that, Jeremiah and Martha left the building. 

“Have a good night, Captain,” Luka said. He bowed slightly before following the pair. Once the door closed, Jean whirled around.

“These people are planning something!” he hissed. Ikuta held up a hand.

“I know, but they also can stop us from ever leaving. Play down your suspicions. See if you can find out more about this village.” Ikuta reached over and picked up a necklace that was peaking out of a drawer near the bed. “Particularly where they got their valuables,” he said, holding the necklace up towards the light and inspecting it.


	4. Chapter 4

“Captain,” Dom’s voice called out, shaking Ikuta from his dreams. He couldn’t remember exactly what it was about. Each moment made the dream harder to recall. Like trying to cup water in his hands, the details slowly slipped away from him. All that was left was a feeling of dread. Ikuta sat up, his neck and back aching from the uncomfortable position he had fallen asleep in. Stretching to try and realign his spine, Ikuta looked at Hisui. Though it had only been a few hours, Hisui looked much better than the last time Ikuta saw him. His face was still pale and there was a thin layer of sweat still on his brow. But he wasn’t that ugly grey that he had been. They weren’t out of the woods yet, but they were getting there. 

Ikuta was also pleased to see that the hair was still dyed. He was afraid that due to Hisui’s fever he would have started to sweat off the color. But his hair still remained the pale blond that Jean had originally dyed it. Dom shook Ikuta again. 

“You were right. Something is going on in this town,” he said, peaking outstide to make sure no one was eavesdropping. Ikuta turned towards the man.

“What do you mean?” he asked. 

“Well, everyone here seems to have valuables of some sort. Not just the knd that you pass down to your children. There are some real gems here. If I didn’t know any better, I would say this place is a vault for a governor or an upper-class member of society,” Dom continued.

“Anything else suspicious?” Ikuta asked.

“I’m not sure. The people don’t seem to trust us all that much. When we were in town earlier, they weren’t too trusting of us. I figured it was just because we’re strangers. But there were also a lot of whispers going around. I wonder what they’re up to,” Dom finished. 

“I don’t know. Something tells me Hisui’s involved,” Ikuta murmured. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and studied the boy intently. It was almost as if Hisui was just sleeping. Only the occasional grimace of pain broke the illusion. Dom sighed and shook his head. 

“That boy’s always involved with something. But the sooner we get out of here, the better. The townspeople may be harmless. But they could also be psychotic,” he said. 

“How much longer until Hisui is stabilized enough to move?” Ikuta asked. Dom leaned over and checked the kid’s bandages.

“I say we could probably leave tonight, so long as we pack some extra medicine and get to the next port within the next day,” Dom said. Ikuta nodded.

“Let Jean and Wood know. I want them to be ready as soon as possible. We can’t waste time here,” he commanded. Dom nodded before standing and walking out the door.

Ikuta stood up and got another cool rag. He dragged it over Hisui’s forehead, praying that he would get better soon. So far, everything had been going from bad to worse. Ikuta couldn’t help but feel like a failure. They were attacked. Hisui was shot. And now a group of creepy villagers may or may not want to kidnap him. It was as if every turn led Ikuta and Hisui further from safety. Sometimes, Ikuta felt as if there were no right answers, only wrong ones. The only thing he could do was to choose the best wrong answer. 

Ikuta slumped back in his chair and once again took Hisui’s hand in his own. It was so small. Hisui was so small. He wondered if that was the reason Hisui kept getting into trouble. The enemies would single him out as being small and therefore weak. Except, what they didn’t know was that Ikuta would do anything to keep Hisui safe. That was where most people made the mistake of trying to attack Hisui. 

"You are in so much trouble when you wake up," Ikuta sighed. "What made you think that saving me from a bullet was a good idea?" he said. Hisui muttered something unintelligible and rolled over. Ikuta smiled and brushed his hair from his forehead. The dye made Hisui’s hair take on a grainy texture. It wasn’t nearly as soft as his real hair. He missed seeing it. When it took on that scarlet color, it was absolutely brilliant. Hisui’s hair could outshine any jewel. Not that he would ever tell Hisui that. But Ikuta did think that the vibrant red could not be compared to anything.

Though, there was one thing that was just as vibrant as Hisui’s hair: blood. Each time Hisui’s hair turned scarlet, Ikuta would be forced to remember what he had failed to do. He would remember how he had failed to protect Hisui. How he had harmed him by not keeping him safe. It was a reminder of the color Ikuta had spilled and seen spilled. It was a reminder of the people he couldn't save. Sure, on Hisui it looked beautiful. Ikuta loved seeing the young kid show that magnificent color to everyone. But now Ikuta wasn't sure he could look at it and not be reminded of the blood that had stained Hisui's skin. The contrast matching perfectly. 

"Ikuta?" A small voice jerked Ikuta out of his musings. He really needed to pay more attention to his surroundings. Here he was worried that the village would take Hisui away from him and he couldn't even keep his concentration for ten minutes. It was rather disconcerting. 

"Ikuta," the voice called again. Ikuta looked down to see Hisui staring up at him. 

"Hisui!" he cried. "You're awake! How do you feel?" he asked, helping Hisui sit up so that he could take some water. Once Hisui was done drinking he collapsed back onto the bed. 

"I feel cold. And my side hurts," Hisui answered. His eyes were still glazed over with evidence of fever. Ikuta felt his forehead, Hisui was still burning up. Ikuta wondered if he should put more blankets on the boy to warm him up. But everyone else had been keeping Hisui cool. He would have gotten Dom, except he didn't want to leave Hisui alone for any length of time. The hair on the back of his neck stood up whenever he thought about this village and these people. His instincts were screaming for him to run away as fast as he could. He never ignored is instincts. They were almost always right. 

"Ikuta, are we on the ship? I don't feel it rocking," Hisui said, coughing slightly. His face twisted in pain. Ikuta leaned forward and began running his fingers through Hisui's hair. 

"No, we're on land. You were too injured to wait until the next port for help," Ikuta explained. 

"Oh," his said softly. Ikuta wasn’t sure if he should let Hisui sleep or not. He decided it couldn’t hurt to ask Hisui a few more questions. Dom had said Hisui was probably stable enough for them to leave. Maybe now that he was awake Ikuta could grab the others and leave earlier. 

"What were you thinking, kid?" Ikuta said, trying to keep Hisui awake. It had been two days since he saw those eyes close. He wasn't risking it again. Hisui stirred and looked at Ikuta. 

"Couldn't lose you," he muttered, turning a bright shade of red. Ikuta couldn't help but laugh. "Don't think anything of it!" Hisui said, trying to defend his honor. Ikuta, still shaking with laughter, patted Hisui’s shoulder and leaned over so that he was now sitting on the bed. It was kind of cute how much Hisui tried to deny the truth behind his actions. Like a child trying to appear more grown-up than they actually were.

"Next time just let me get hurt." he said. 

"I guess this means I'm not going to be doing anything for awhile." Hisui muttered. Ikuta took his hand and rubbed his thumb over the knuckles. 

"Well, it's your own fault for injuring yourself so badly," he said. Inside, Ikuta was trying not to sob with joy. Hisui was acting like his old self. He was healing. In a few days, maybe even a few hours, they would be able to leave this depressing town and continue sailing the ocean. A knock at the door drew Ikuta from his happy thoughts. Ikuta turned to see Luka standing by the door. 

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything." he said calmly. Hisui gasped. 

"That voice," he whispered. Ikuta squeezed Hisui's hand and stood up. Luka was taller than Ikuta, but he was thinner and older. Ikuta could probably easily take him in hand-to-hand combat if he tried to take Hisui. He was getting really paranoid. If this kept up, then Ikuta would be jumping at shadows soon. But Hisui’s hand tightening in his own made Ikuta more protective. Hisui was afraid, very afraid. Ikuta would not let anything else happen to him. 

"Good to see you awake, Hisui," Luka said. He seemed almost happy that Hisui was here. Hisui whimpered and wrenched his hand out of Ikuta’s only to grab on to his shirt. Ikuta wrapped his arm around Hisui and tightened his hold. 

"What is it you want?" he asked. Luka sighed and held his hands up. 

“I do not wish to harm either of you," he said. Ikuta could feel Hisui shaking, though he wasn't sure if it was from the fever or from fear. He also wondered where Dom and the others were. He might be needing backup soon. 

"Then you'll let us go back to our ship and depart without any trouble," Ikuta said. 

"I'm afraid I can't do that. You at least need to hear me out," Luka said. He smiled and took a step forward. Hisui jerked back. Ikuta rubbed Hisui’s shoulder gently, trying to calm the kid down. If he started panicking, he may rip his stitches and reinjure himself. 

“I think it would be most wise for you and Hisui to stay a few more hours. You cannot leave until then,” Luka said. 

"How are you going to stop me," Ikuta snarled. He had had enough of this man and this village. He was leaving now, whether Hisui was stable or not. He turned and picked Hisui up in his arms. He quickly made his way to the door, feeling Hisui’s hands tighten in his shirt made him walk faster. 

"Because I have your crew held captive. If you don't cooperate, they will die," Luka said menacingly. Ikuta stopped and turned. 

"What do you want?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous. He should have done a better job about warning the crew. They probably didn’t fight back under the assumption that Luka was holding Ikuta and Hisui hostage.

"I think you know what I want. I want Hisui back," Luka said. 

"Back?" Ikuta spat. “The only way you’re getting him back is if you pry him from my cold, dead hands,” Ikuta said. But he didn’t leave; he had to free his crew. 

“I think if you come with me, you will change your mind,” Luka said, gesturing for Ikuta to follow him. Perhaps the man would give up after a few hours of Ikuta’s stubbornness. Hisui whimpered in his arms.

“Don’t worry, Hisui. I’m not letting you go,” Ikuta whispered. Hisui nodded, trusting Ikuta completely, like he always did. Ikuta swore to himself that he would not allow these people to get Hisui. He would not allow any more trauma to happen to the boy.


	5. Chapter 5

“Just think about how much happier Hisui would be if he returned back home. The sea is a dangerous place for a child. It’s full of uncertainty and danger. Here, on land, Hisui can be safe. He can be cared for better than you ever could,” Luka pleaded. Ikuta clenched his jaw and narrowed his eyes. He wanted desperately to beat this man into unconsciousness. But, Hisui was more important right now, he had to save Hisui. Ikuta continued walking out the door. 

"I'm not giving you Hisui. I've heard you out, now let my crew go," he said. He wouldn’t let the man know how much is angered him to be called unfit. He couldn’t let this man sweet-talk him into giving up Hisui. No matter how much of a failure Ikuta felt, this was one thing he could do right. This was one instance where there was a very clear right and wrong choice. And Ikuta would be damned if he made a wrong choice. Luka sighed. He sighed as if Ikuta was being difficult, petulant. Like Ikuta was causing him some great inconvenience. 

"I think the boy is clouding your judgment," Luka said. "Perhaps if you were to leave him hear so that we could talk business-" Ikuta spun around to face the man.

"I am not leaving Hisui with anyone other than my crew," Ikuta snapped. Luka must have greatly underestimated Ikuta to think that he would even be comfortable leaving Hisui alone. Was he really not portraying a man who was not willing to even consider a compromise? Ikuta thought that the whole clutching Hisui in his arms and trying to kill Luka through willpower and glares was pretty convincing. 

"Please, don't let him take me back," Hisui whimpered against Ikuta's chest. “I can’t come back here. It was horrible. I hated it!” Hisui cried, staring up at Ikuta with those large eyes. Ikuta’s heart broke upon seeing the look on Hisui’s face. Normally, the kid would look at him with such expectation and faith. Hisui depended on Ikuta to protect him and keep him safe. But now, it was as if Hisui thought Ikuta would even consider giving him over to these people. Ikuta just wanted to wipe that feeling away.

"I promise, I won't let them get you,” Ikuta said. Those words had never been said with such weight. Ikuta poured every ounce of emotion into them, hoping Hisui would be able to hear how much Ikuta was going to keep this promise. Hisui nodded and relaxed in Ikuta’s hold. All it took were those words to get him to trust Ikuta completely. Ikuta would not fail Hisui. 

“Well this is all very touching,” Luka sighed. “However, I do think we should discuss your terms for a trade.” He adjusted his clothes and slicked back his hair. Like this motion would make him less threatening. Ikuta adjusted Hisui in his arms and turned to the man.

“I thought I made it very clear, there is no way in hell I am giving you Hisui,” Ikuta snarled. Luka stared back at him, a fiery determination in his eyes.

"Perhaps then we can discuss this amicably, like civil people," Lukas said. 

"There's nothing civil about this discussion!" Ikuta cried. "You want to take Hisui back from me so that you can sell him again. Where is the civility in that!" Ikuta spat. Luka’s determination did not fade. He still stood tall and looked Ikuta in the eye. He was confident that his argument was going to win Ikuta over. Ikuta was confident that this man did not hold any argument or treasure that would make him hand Hisui over. Luka opened the door and gestured to the outside.

"Please, follow me. Remember captain, your crew’s life hangs in the balance," he sneered. Ikuta hugged Hisui closer to his chest but followed the man. He had no other choice. His crew was being held captive. They wouldn’t want to hurt the villagers unless absolutely necessary. But Ikuta couldn’t make the same bet for the villagers. These people were blinded by gold and seemed desperate for more. Desperate people do desperate things. Perhaps Luka would be smart enough to back down after he said his piece. 

Once again Ikuta walked through the village. Last night, he had been more focused on Hisui. While the kid was still injured and whimpering in pain every so often, he wasn’t at the forefront of Ikuta’s mind. Right now, he was looking for a way to escape. The people of the village had all gathered by the sides of the road to watch Luka lead Ikuta to their destination. There were whispers and more than once Ikuta thought he heard the words “demon child” and “freak” among them. He felt Hisui’s tears begin to soak his shirt, the bad memories were most certainly coming back to Hisui with full force. Ikuta leaned down.

“Don’t listen to them. I care about you, the crew cares about you. To me, you’re perfect,” he said quietly. He heard Hisui snort in amusement.

“Stupid bear,” he muttered. Ikuta straightened back up and gave a small smile. The sun was still pretty high in the sky, making it pretty hot. The trio continued through the village, winding their way further away from the small cluster of houses. Here, the trail became much more difficult for Ikuta to walk and hold Hisui at the same time. But he would not put him down. He would never let him go. After what felt like hours, Luka finally stopped in front of a smokehouse. It was old and worn down from disuse. The trees and grass appeared to be overtaking it. Had Ikuta started walking this trail without knowing its location, he would have never seen it. It was well hidden, which made Ikuta worried. What was Luka planning?

"I think that we can discuss the terms better here." Luka said, opening the door and gesturing Ikuta to go inside. Ikuta braced himself for what lay behind the door. He ensured Hisui was snug in his arms before stepping past Luka and through the door. He gently put Hisui down, ensure that his footing was sure. Hisui leaned against Ikuta and wrapped his arms around his torso, his hands tightly clutching Ikuta’s shirt. Keeping an arm around Hisui’s shoulders to steady him, Ikuta looked around. What he saw made his jaw drop. Piles of gold and silver were stacked around the room. Gems rare as can be fell out of every crevice. It was as if the God himself had poured his treasure down from heaven. Ikuta had only ever heard of such riches in tales, rumors. He never had actually laid eyes on something this shiny. It was absolutely beautiful. 

It was beautiful, but Ikuta didn’t want it. Though he was examining the great mounds of treasure that spread out before him, his mind kept reminding him of the small child who was currently clutching Ikuta with all his strength. He was reminded of the boy who was currently injured, in pain, and terrified that he would be thrown back into hell. It was beautiful, but it didn’t matter. In the end, Ikuta cared about the treasure just about as much as he cared about a pile of rocks. To him, it was worth nothing. And, knowing that Luka brought him here to bribe him, made Ikuta sick. 

"So this is how much you think a human is worth?" Ikuta asked. His thumb was rubbing soothing circles onto Hisui’s shaking shoulder. "We're leaving," he said, scooping up Hisui once again and making his way to the door. The thought that Luka didn’t respect Ikuta enough to understand he wasn’t going to bribed was making Ikuta’s blood boil. Luka had assumed that Ikuta would just give Hisui up. To think that Luka assumed Hisui was only worth this disgusted Ikuta. Hisui was worth more than all the precious gems in the world combined. To Ikuta, Hisui was worth more than the world had to offer.

"Don't act all high and mighty, Captain. You would have done the same think in our position," Luka called. "Our village was starving. Hisui could help. Shouldn't the boy be proud that his unnatural, freakish looks actually helped for once? To think such a demon could actually be worth something?" Luka said angrily, running after Ikuta. 

"I happen to think that Hisui is perfectly natural. And, if you call him a demon again, I won’t hesitate to kill you in the slowest and most painful ways I can think of ,” he snapped. Ikuta noticed Luka had caught up with him and was trying to match Ikuta’s ever-quickening pace. 

"What if it was your crew that were starving. What if someone offered you enough gold to last a lifetime? What if you had the chance to ensure that you and your men could live comfortably without fear of disease or famine," Luka said, running in front of Ikuta and forcing him to stop. 

"What if it was your son or daughter that this was done to?" Ikuta retorted. Luka threw back his head and laughed. It sent shivers down Ikuta’s spine and, for a moment, Ikuta wasn’t sure this man was human. He couldn’t be. No human could be this dark.

"Hisui isn't anyone's child. He was found in the woods one day. Some prostitute probably threw him out as soon as he was born! He was lucky we were kind enough to treat him like one of the stray dogs. Feeding him scrapes from our table. Any other village would have let him die!" Luka cried. Never before had Ikuta wanted to kill a man so much. Not even Elijah Evans after he had double crossed him and kidnapped Hisui. Ikuta had felt this burning hatred then. The feeling of raw power that pushed him to single-handedly fight an entire crew of pirates just so that Hisui would be safe in his arms once more. Now Ikuta wanted to slowly dismember this man. He wanted him to suffer. He wanted him to beg for forgiveness. Ikuta wanted Luka to fear him, to shake when he heard Ikuta’s name. 

"Don't you dare say another word about Hisui," Ikuta snarled. He didn’t have any more patience for this man and his twisted sense of righteousness. If he said one more thing, Ikuta wouldn’t be responsible for his actions. Hell, he would burn down this entire village himself if it meant Hisui never had to suffer this abuse again. Luka’s eyes softened. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. Ikuta was thrown off by this sudden change in behavior. What was he planning. 

"Captain, think about what's best for Hisui. If he returns to the Governor, he'll be able to live a life full of safety. He will have regular meals, a roof over his head, access to medicine.” Hisui shook his head violently in Ikuta’s chest.

“Wrong. That’s wrong,” he whimpered. Ikuta tried to soothe him and keep track of Luka’s argument. 

“I know that it isn't the best decision, but shouldn't Hisui's safety come first. You are being selfish by forcing him to stay with you. You don't have children, so I wouldn't expect our to understand. Sometimes, we have to do things they don’t like. In the end, it’s their wellbeing that matters, not their happiness. This is something that a man like yourself couldn’t hope to comprehend. You’ve never had to make these decisions. But even you have to know that not everyone can live happily all the time!" Luka pleaded. Ikuta was almost swayed by this man’s eloquent words. He made sense, he really did. Sometimes, Ikuta had to make decisions for Hisui that made the kid unhappy. But this, this wasn’t one of those decisions.

"How dare you think that I can't do what's best for Hisui!" Ikuta growled. While it was true he hadn’t been the best protector Hisui could have asked for, he would be damned before some man told him he wasn’t worthy. "I am always trying to figure out how to keep him safe and how to keep him healthy. I do things that he doesn’t like because I would rather he be safe than happy!” Luka’s eyes narrowed.

"And yet he is shot and injured. He has a fever that you can't possibly hope to bring down on the boat! You really think you are better for Hisui than I am, than this village is? Look at yourself! You’re pathetic! You can’t even keep him safe from a puny attack!" Luka cried. 

“He’s wrong. I need you,” Hisui said. This mad Ikuta’s heart swell. Luka may think him a failure, but Hisui still chose him. Hisui still needed him. Ikuta would keep fighting. 

"And you think that giving him to some man as a pet is any better!" Ikuta shouted. "Do you really think that being treated like a possession day after day is really what's best for Hisui. Believe me, if this was the best option, then you wouldn’t need to bribe me. But this isn’t. This isn’t right and I will not subject Hisui to this! Don't pretend like you're looking out for him. The only thing you're interested in is filling your pockets with gold. I’m not the pathetic one here, you are. There is nothing I have left to say to you. No amount of gold or jewels will make me give Hisui up. Thank you for your help, but we are leaving," Ikuta snarled with finality before walking off into the woods. He hoped that the villagers weren't going to kill the crew in retaliation. They didn’t seem like murderers, but they did sell a child to a man to satisfy their own greed. Anything was possible with these people. 

"I was hopping it didn't have to come to this, Captain!" Luka called out from behind him. Ikuta wondered what Luka was planning now. With a jolt, he realized that he had left his back exposed to the enemy. He had been so stupid for thinking that Luka wasn’t going to get violent. He had trusted the man too much. But, a physical blow never came. Instead, there was a loud explosion from somewhere in the forest. 

"Ikuta!" Hisui cried as the forest began to fill with some sort of gas. Ikuta coughed and shifted and shifted Hisui to his back. Now was not the time to panic. He could still get Hisui out of here. He could still keep his promise. 

"Sorry, kid, but this is going to hurt," Ikuta said before taking off running through the woods. Ikuta was not going to let this obstacle stop him from protecting Hisui. He would swim to the ship with Hisui if he had to. Except, with each step it became harder for Ikuta to breath. With each step his vision became blurrier and he was finding it more difficult to concentrate on his task. He felt himself careening sideways only to fall to his knees. The contact with the rocky ground sent pain through Ikuta’s knees. 

“Ikuta,” Hisui coughed violently. Ikuta was losing consciousness and fast. He shifted Hisui once more to his chest and held on tightly. 

“I’m sorry. If I survive, I promise I’ll come back for you,” he whispered into Hisui’s ear. He wasn’t sure if Hisui had heard him or not. His vision blacked and he fell forward, completely lying on the ground. 

The last thing Ikuta saw before falling into darkness, the a pair of boots that belonged to that snake of a village leader. It was in that second before he completely fell unconscious that Ikuta was glad he decided to try and see a mermaid that day. He was glad that he had stolen Hisui away, and that Hisui had fallen on him that night and not somewhere else. These people, even before they sold Hisui, didn't even consider him human. They barely acknowledged his existence until it was convenient for them. A laugh escaped from his lips. He, a pirate, was more ethical and kind than hardworking villagers. Ikuta felt Hisui being tugged from his arms and his resistance to the gas finally failing. He was getting Hisui back. There was nothing else to it.


	6. Chapter 6

Once again, Ikuta found himself drifting in unconsciousness. His world was dark, no light to be seen. There was a fuzzy voice somewhere. It sounded so far away. So far away. The words became less jumbled and awkward. Instead of being muffled like the words were being spoken through a wet towel, they were clear. They were calling his name. Ikuta made a grunt, an attempt to continue clawing his way our of the depths of his mind and back into the light. As he regained his bearings, eyes still shut, he felt his body being pushed to a fro. Someone was shaking him relentlessly. Their hand aiding in Ikuta’s struggle to regain his awareness. The hand was relentless in its quest, never letting up, desperate for Ikuta to shake off the after affects of a drug that had been forcibly placed in his system. 

Ikuta finally managed to open his eyes, though his vision was fuzzy. Vague outlines and colors filled his sight. Slowly drawing him completely out of his sleep. Ikuta blinked a few times, effectively sharpening the image. The owner of the hand that had been so anxious to awake him was none other than Dom.

“Dom?” Ikuta slurred. “What’s going on? Where are we?” The words hadn’t even completely left Ikuta’s mouth when he realized what had happened. That run through the forest, Hisui being taken from him, the bribe. Confusion was placed with anger and Ikuta shot up. The momentum was so great and sudden that Dom barely managed not to get hit with Ikuta’s head. The man had jumped back just in time. Ikuta groaned as the blood started draining from his head.

“Easy there. I’m not entirely sure what they used on you. It doesn’t look like it has worn off completely yet,” Dom said gently. His hands were pressed on Ikuta’s shoulders keeping him there. But, Ikuta didn’t care about what drugs were in his system. He didn’t care if he was better or not. He only cared about one thing.

"Hisui?" Ikuta asked. He knew that Hisui wouldn’t be on the ship. The twisting of his gut and the bad taste in his mouth were enough to tell him that. But he still couldn’t help but be hopeful. Perhaps Dom and the others were able to escape and take Hisui before the villagers made off with him. Perhaps Hisui was down in his bed, sleeping soundly and ridding his body of the fever that had plagued him. But, Dom didn’t say any of this. He didn’t reassure Ikuta that Hisui was safe. He didn’t smile and say that they managed to escape with the child. Instead, his head bowed, not looking Ikuta in the eye. He shook his head. That motion was enough to break Ikuta. 

“No,” Ikuta gasped. He gasped for air, unable to get any. His head shook back and forth, his brain unable to comprehend what had just been told to him. Ikuta curled in on himself, his arms crossing over his stomach. He had lost Hisui. He had lost the only thing that mattered to him. Maybe Luka was right. Maybe Ikuta wasn’t fit to be the boy’s protector. Ikuta’s hands grasped his head, pulling at his hair as he tried to get a hold of himself. “No,” he whispered again. Dom’s hands moved to wrap around Ikuta’s shoulders, steadying him.

“We can get him back. He isn’t on the ship, but the villagers wouldn’t do anything to hurt him. He’s still alive,” Dom said, giving Ikuta a small smile.

“And where are we,” Ikuta asked, his body still shaking from the news that Hisui was not with him. That Hisui was back in the one place he never wanted to return to.

“They appeared to have set us to drift out at sea. The crew and I were being held down in the hull, so I can’t be entirely sure what happened between you and the village leader,” Dom explained. Ikuta clenched his fists and turned to look straight at Dom. He was sure that he was a mess. His eyes were probably red from unshed tears and his hair was matted with sweat, dirt, and blood. But right now, he needed answers.

“Where are we?” Ikuta asked again, stressing each word with as much importance as he could muster.

“We’re about four hours from the village. As soon as I managed to get free, I set a course back. The men were more than willing to help,” Dom explained. Ikuta nodded.

“We have to get Hisui back,” he said. He was pitying himself again. Hisui couldn’t afford that. Right now, Hisui needed Ikuta to be at the top of his game. He needed Ikuta to be able to fight. Ikuta made to stand but immediately regretted that decision. It appeared that his legs hadn’t gotten the message that they were needed. As soon as he stood, they began to shake with such terrible tremors, Ikuta would have thought there was an earthquake. Dom was quick to notice this and grabbed Ikuta’s elbow, helping to sit him back down on the bed.

“Take it slowly. We have four hours to prepare. You’re no use to anyone if you can’t even stand,” he said. Ikuta gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. The nails were digging into the rough skin, leaving indents. “We’ll get him back. The villagers won’t be able to fight all of us,” Dom said in a soothing voice. “When I was looking around, I noticed that they didn’t have a great stockpile of weapons. As much as they traded Hisui for the first time around, it appears that they didn’t ask for any guns or cannons. We’ll be able to fight them no problem,” Dom finished. 

Ikuta found that in his current state, he couldn’t really stay angry for long. He was starting to feel exhausted again and leaned back on the pillows. Now that rage wasn’t consuming his mind, there was something else that was bothering Ikuta. 

“Why did they set us out to sea?” Ikuta asked. Dom looked at Ikuta and tilted his head. Ikuta sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “If I were trying to steal a mermaid away from someone, I wouldn’t just let them drift around aimlessly. If they have a good navigator it wouldn’t take very long for them to reposition themselves and return for the mermaid. These people don’t strike me as complete morons. They had to be sure that we wouldn’t want to return,” Ikuta said. Dom’s face fell and his eyes darkened. 

“Are you feeling good enough to walk?” he asked. Ikuta was taken aback by Dom’s demeanor. The normally cheerful man was now simmering with anger. It was barely there, but Ikuta had know Dom long enough to wonder what had made his friend furious. 

“Is someone hurt?” Ikuta asked, worried that the villagers’ rein of terror hadn’t ended with Hisui. Dom shook his head. 

“You’re going to want to see this,” he said, offering a hand to Ikuta. Dom’s mouth was pressed into a tight line and his eyes were narrowed. Ikuta stood up shakily but managed to actually get his footing, unlike his last attempt. Within a few steps, Ikuta managed to steady himself completely and began to walk through the ship, following Dom down into the hull. What he saw made Ikuta’s jaw drop.

His eyes widened as they fell on the piles of gold, silver, and jewels that lay innocently on the ground of the ship.

“There’s so many,” he breathed, his brain still hadn’t managed to comprehend what was going on. It appeared that a good portion of the treasure from the smokehouse was now lying in Ikuta’s ship. So lost in thought was Ikuta that he didn’t see the silver chalice that came soaring towards his head. It was only muscle memory ingrained in him from his military days that caused Ikuta to dodge before it actually made contact with his head. Ikuta was about to ask what had happened, but that question was quickly answered.

"Bastards!'" Jean shouted. "They think that if they give us enough treasure we'll just leave Hisui with them willingly!" he cried. He kicked a pile of gold coins, scattering them across the floor. The jangle of the metal against one another echoing in the ship. The veins in his neck were throbbing and his breathing heavy. Jean noticed Ikuta and stomped up to him, a fire burning in his eyes, making Ikuta shudder under the gaze.

"Tell me you didn't trade Hisui for this!?" he said. Ikuta blinked a few times, trying to figure out who the accusation was directed towards. When he realized that it was him, Ikuta felt himself get angry, angrier than what he had felt towards Luka. The fact that Jean thought he could be capable of such a horrendous action made Ikuta’s blood boil. His crew should know him better than this.

"I would never do such a thing!" Ikuta shouted, getting more and more frustrated with Jean's accusations. It didn’t help that a part of him was guilty about the whole situation as well. He should have protected Hisui better. And yet, the boy was once again ripped from his grasp and thrown into an unpleasant situation. 

"Well you were the only one with him when this happened." Jean shot back. “We were all down here. We had to watch as they loaded up the ship with treasure. And then we had to sit here and struggle against the ropes. We weren’t able to escape until we were almost half a day from the village!” Ikuta was about to retaliate when he felt a pair of hands on his shoulders. He looked up to see Wood staring down at him. In his anger, he hadn’t even noticed that other members of the crew were down here. Yassen and Fox were both examining some jewelry. Wood had some gold in his hands but looked like he wanted the two men to stop arguing. Dom stepped forward, his hands held up in an attempt to placate the two men.

"Fighting won't get us there any faster," Dom said. Ikuta stepped back and glared at Jean. How could he even suspect that Ikuta could do this? Was Ikuta really that bad at protecting the things he cared about that even his crew doubted his intentions? Ikuta decided that the best thing to do would be to leave. He could cool off in his cabin. Or stew in anger and use that to fight the villagers and make them suffer. 

"I'm just as pissed off as you are. Don’t blame me for this. I would never betray Hisui like this," Ikuta snarled before making his way back onto the deck. He heard some footsteps behind him.

"Captain," Yassen called. "We need a plan of attack. We can't just march into the village guns-a-blazing and take Hisui back," he said. 

"We can and we will," Ikuta snapped. Though, a part of him admitted that Yassen was right. Just running into the village without a plan was a recipe for disaster. Dom may not have seen any weapons, but that didn’t mean the villagers weren’t able to fight. Ikuta knew that small villages were sometimes the most dangerous. They had the most to lose and they also had the advantage of knowing more about the land. Besides, running in without a plan wouldn’t ensure that these people never crossed him again. He needed to be destructive and terrifying, two things he hoped he would never be. But, this was for Hisui. He had been too soft of the people who had tried to take the kid from him. Now, things were changing. Now, he was going to make people fear him. Make it so that even the Kaiser wouldn’t think to cross him. And if he had to burn down the village to ensure that, then he would do it

"I think we should skin the leader alive. What was his name? Luka?" Jean said. He seemed to have calmed down from his earlier outburst. But his fists were still clenched and his eyes still narrow. That actually sounded like a good idea to Ikuta. 

"I think we should march in there but not do any damage. Just march in, grab Hisui and leave," Dom suggested. "They don't have any weapons to defend themselves and if we destroy the town too much, Hisui could react badly. He doesn't like violence," Dom explained. Ikuta slammed his fist into the mast. As much as he wanted to admit that Dom was right, he also wanted something to release his anger on. Hisui didn’t like violence. He wouldn’t want the entire town to be destroyed just because Ikuta was upset. But Ikuta also wanted to ensure that Hisui was never taken from him again. The only way Ikuta saw that happening was if he separated a few heads from their shoulders.

"I am getting Hisui back and I will kill anyone that gets in my way.” Dom held up his hands in surrender.

“We still need a better plan than marching in and making destruction,” he said. Ikuta massaged his brow, trying to think of a compromise.

“I have an idea. It will minimize destruction while also punishing Luka for what he did,” Ikuta said.

“Let’s hear it,” Jean said. With that, the crew prepared for the attack on the town. 

Once again, the ship pulled into the small alcove and the rowboats were lowered into the water. It was just reaching dusk and the sun was still seen on the horizon. It was quiet once again, the water just as calm and gentle as before. It was a bit more uncomfortable, as more men decided to cram into the rowboats. It made Ikuta proud that Hisui was so loved by the crew. The air was tense and everyone looked ready to kill. Ikuta heard shouting along the shore and couldn't help but smile. He was going to make this town afraid of him. He was going to make this story spread to other towns, a warning to anyone who tried to take the rarest mermaid. And, if some of the town was destroyed in the process of getting Hisui back, Ikuta couldn’t be bothered to care. 

The men reached the shores and stepped onto the land. Ikuta saw a crowd of people standing, watching, and waiting. There were huddled together, breaths held as they wondered what Ikuta was doing back in the town. The boats were secured on the shore. Ikuta had yet to say anything, had yet to acknowledge the people on the shore. He was calm, very calm. He had his mission and nothing was getting in his way. He turned to see the people step back, collectively. They were afraid of him, and he hadn’t even done anything yet. That was about to change though.

“Where is he?” Ikuta snarled. His eyes flitted about the crowd, looking for someone who would be easy to break. They all seemed pretty scared at the moment. The crowd backing further away from Ikuta each step he took. And yet, they didn’t respond. They didn’t break down and cry, begging Ikuta to have mercy. Instead, they held their breaths, hoping that Ikuta would give up and go away. But Ikuta wasn’t one to give up. And he wasn’t one to let things go so easily. Ikuta drew his sword. The sharp metal scraping against his scabbard, fitting in perfectly with the chorus of sharp inhalations and quiet cries that rippled through the crowd. A few people leapt back, but had nowhere to go. They were pressing against each other, each wanting to move but unable to. Due to fear or curiosity, Ikuta didn’t know and didn’t care. "I’ll ask you again. Where is Hisui?" he shouted. This time, a good portion of the crowd jumped, a few even ran away, no longer able to face this man who looked ready to kill. 

"Listen, just take your money and go. We gave you all we had. If you want more, you’re going to have to wait a week for the Kaiser to show up" the man who had greeted them before said, his voice shaking and cracking with each syllable. Ikuta laughed. These people really did think that money was the answer to everything. Sadly, money only made to worsen their situation. 

"I am not leaving until I find him. I will burn down every house if I have to. So, if you want the destruction to be kept to a minimum, I suggest you cooperate." 

"You have more than enough gold to satisfy you. You don't need a mermaid to anymore," someone else cried. The remaining people murmured in agreement. Ikuta heard more swords being drawn behind him. He smirked. His men weren’t swayed by the arguments as well. The people shivered and took another step back. They were getting desperate. Ikuta wasn’t exactly patient at the moment though. He was going to start burning things soon if they didn’t answer him.

"This isn't about what Hisui is. I want him back!" Ikuta shouted. The people didn't even move. They were frozen in the spot, cowering and unable to properly flee. An ingrained response in the human brain. They were still subconsciously analyzing the situation to see if they could win. They had more people, but Ikuta’s men were fighting for something more precious than gold. "Start searching," he said, motioning for his men to start burning down the village. Hisui probably wouldn’t like it, but Ikuta could care less about that at the moment. Wood and Fox walked forward, torches in each of their hands. They separated, each choosing a house and walking towards the door. They didn’t get to search though. 

"Wait!" the man cried. "I'll tell you where he's at. Him and Luka are at a house at the top of the hill. It's a two-minute walk along the road. You'll run right into it," he explained. The crowd nodded their agreement. Ikuta smiled at them, showing his teeth. 

"Thank you. Was that so hard?" Ikuta said in a low voice. “Jean, Wood, with me. Everyone else, stay here and make sure no one leaves," Ikuta commanded. He almost wished Wood and Fox had managed to burn down a portion of the village. But that wasn’t important right now. Right now, getting Hisui out of here was important. Ikuta narrowed his eyes as he and the others began to trek up the hill. He hoped Luka was prepared for the storm that was about to hit him.

oOoOoOoOo

"Ow! You stupid brat," Luka cried out as Hisui sank his teeth into his arm. Luka didn't remember Hisui being so difficult to deal with last time. He mostly just cried and begged the village to let him stay. Now, thanks to this kid, Luka was now decorated with an assortment of bruises, bites, and scratches. He even had to tie Hisui to a beam so that the kid would quite hitting him. He still had a fever! He also was shot! And yet, Luka needed to violently shake his arm just to make the kid let go. Finally, he managed to wrench his arm from Hisui’s jaw, leaving several scratches from where the teeth held on and refused to let go. Luka looked at his arm only to see blood oozing out of the wound. He would have to clean it now. There was no telling what kind of bacteria the brat had running around in his mouth. 

"I would hit you, to teach you some respect. But you're already damaged as is. I won't be giving the Kaiser any more reason to lower the price," Luka snarled. Hisui glared at him and attempted to land a kick at his lower legs. Luka growled and grabbed more rope, tying Hisui's legs together. Even with the rope around his legs, Hisui still managed to knock Luka down. Luka hit the ground with a thud and cried out in pain. He was regretting his decision now. He should have just let the kid go. This was too painful and too much work. But Hisui wasn’t done yet.

"Ikuta's not going to be happy when he wakes up," Hisui said, still struggling against the rope. He was fairly sure that his wound had opened back up. He could feel the blood starting to ooze out. Not only that , but he was still cold and shaky from the fever. His side didn’t hurt as much. But with each struggle, he felt it sting and a wave of pain roll through his body. Maybe he should give up and sit here quietly. 

‘No,’ Hisui thought to himself. ‘I want to make Ikuta proud. I want don’t want to just sit here and wait to be rescued. I will be strong,’ Hisui continued to struggle against the ropes, hoping that he would eventually be able to free himself. However, he was running into a problem. He wasn't sure how much longer he was going to stay away. He was already sick and injured. His vision beginning to darken around the edged. He had fought too much. And Ikuta still wasn’t here. Hisui didn’t want to pass out right now. It was still too dangerous. He tried to force himself to stay awake, but it was getting harder. Luka let out a laugh. 

"You really think he's coming back for you?" he said, his shoulders shaking with amusement. 

"Yes!" Hisui cried. Ikuta would never leave him. He never did in the past, even when it was better for him too. No, he would come for Hisui and would not be happy when he did find him. Ikuta would come for him. Ikuta would rescue him. Hisui told himself over and over again. Ikuta would not fail him. 

"He left you here with a boatful of money. He's not coming back," Luka said. Hisui's heart dropped. Did Ikuta really get money for him? That didn’t sound like Ikuta. But Hisui couldn’t help but feel anxious. Maybe once Ikuta saw the money he would decide that Hisui wasn’t worth the rescue and just leave. Maybe Hisui would never see him again. Hisui felt his eyes well with tears. That couldn’t be true. That just couldn’t. Ikuta would never sell him.

"Ikuta got money?" he asked uncertainly. Luka bent down so he was looking into Hisui's eyes. He reached out a hand and began running it through Hisui’s hair. Hisui flinched and jerked away from the unwelcome touch, but his head hit the beam and there was nowhere else he could go.

"Yep. He got a large sum for you, boy. An enormous amount that a puny pirate like him probably couldn’t even count. He’s probably wasting at some tavern on some prostitute. Who knows, he might even end up with your mother?" Luka laughed. Hisui shook his head in disbelief. It was all a lie. Luka was just telling him this so that Hisui wouldn’t fight anymore. “He’s not coming back for a bastard child like yourself. You’re never going to see him again,” Luka said. 

"Actually, I'll be taking Hisui back with me," Ikuta said from the door. Hisui craned to see the man in the doorway. Luka leapt up and stared wide-eyed at the man before him. His mouth opened and closed like a fish’s. Hisui couldn’t help but smile. He felt like crying with joy. Ikuta had come back for him.

"Ikuta!" Hisui cried. He wanted to hug the man in the door. He wanted to latch onto Ikuta and grip his shirt, pulling himself closer to that warm body that was always there for him. He began struggling once again. 

"Hisui, don't struggle, you'll only hurt yourself more," Ikuta said. His eyes softened when they fell on Hisui. He stepped out of the door and revealed Jean and wood behind him. Both looked relieved that they had found Hisui. Hisui sank back against the pole. "Jean, Wood," Ikuta said. Immediately, Jean and Wood grasped Luka and shoved him against the wall. Ikuta walked into the small room and squatted next to Hisui. He started to cut the bonds. Hisui felt his wrists freed from behind the poles and brought them forward, rubbing them and trying to return some of the feeling to his arms. 

"Are you alright?" Ikuta asked softly. He was relieved that Hisui wasn’t hurt. He was relieved that he had gotten here before the Kaiser had. Who knows if Ikuta would have been able to find Hisui if the villagers had managed to sell him. 

"Yes. Thanks for coming back," Hisui said. Ikuta smiled and ruffled his hair. The dye had completely washed out. Ikuta was willing to bet that Luka did it so that Hisui looked entirely like a mermaid. So that there would be no discrepancies in what he was. 

"I would never leave you," Ikuta said, hoping that his words were enough to ensure Hisui that he would never betray him. He cut the bonds on his legs before gently lifting him off the ground. Hisui’s hands went to grip Ikuta’s shirt and he pressed himself closer to the man’s chest, sighing as he did so. "Go to sleep. You'll feel better soon." Ikuta said softly. He pressed a quick kiss to the top of Hisui’s head. Hisui smiled and closed his eyes. His breathing was still slightly labored and his brow was still warm with a fever. But he was happy now. He was safe and felt protected, like nothing could hurt him so long as he was with Ikuta. 

"I gave you money! You should be happy!" Luka cried as Ikuta began to walk back towards the door. Jean and wood dragged the leader with them. Hisui didn’t seem to mind the shouting and instead fell into a deeper sleep. 

"Your mistake was seeing Hisui as some possession that I could easily replace. I told you that I would never sell him. What made you think that I would change my mind?" Ikuta asked. Luka sputtered but didn’t reply. This was mostly due to the fact that Jean had shoved what appeared to be a used sock into Luka’s mouth.

“Quiet, the kid’s trying to sleep,” he said with a smirk. The men made their way back towards the beach where the crowd of people still stood. They seemed paler than before, and only got more so when they realized that Ikuta had not only taken Hisui, but also had two men dragging Luka behind them. 

"Any problems?" Ikuta asked. Dom shook his head. 

“All was quiet. They didn’t even move,” he said with a soft laugh. 

"I wouldn’t expect such lowly tactics from respectable merchants," a man said as he watched the village leader get dragged into one of the rowboats. Ikuta was surprised that no one said anything. Then again, he did threaten to burn down the village. Ikuta turned to face the crowd. 

"Didn't we tell you, we're pirates, not merchants." Ikuta said with a smirk. The crowd gasped at the revelation. Ikuta smiled at his victory and gently sat down in a rowboat. The rowboats pushed off and the crew rowed back to the ship. 

"What are you going to do with me?" Luka asked, his voice shaking. He had managed to spit out the sock. Though Jean was currently in the process of stuffing it back in his mouth. Ikuta looked down at Hisui and smiled. The boy had curled up and looked to sleeping peacefully. 

"You’re getting a punishment, though one that you don't deserve," Jean said. Once back on the ship, Ikuta took Hisui and laid him in the room. He brushed some hair from Hisui’s forehead and smiled at him. Hisui was back with him. He was safe. Dom immediately went to work trying to lower the kid’s temperature while Ikuta delivered a light sentence. He didn’t want to leave Hisui quite yet, but the sooner they got Luka off the boat, the sooner he could put this whole thing behind him. He smiled proudly upon seeing some of the wounds that Hisui had inflicted. Several bite and scratch marks decorating Luka’s arms and face. Jean and Wood were still on either side of him, holding him in place. Not that Luka would have anywhere to go. Unless he wanted to swim.

"You are going to get to go back to your village." Ikuta said and walked away. Luka called for him to stop, but Ikuta felt as though not knowing was just part of the fun. Once they were a reasonable distance from shore. Luka was lowered in a rowboat. 

"Where are the oars?" he cried upon realizing that there was no way for him to row back. Jean tossed down into the water, neither making it near the boat. 

"Go fetch," he called before walking away. Ikuta felt a sick sense of satisfaction as he thought of Luka desperately trying to fish out the oars from the water. It was better than he deserved, but it was still a form of punishment. Ikuta couldn't ask for any less. Now, it was time to make sure Hisui was alright.


	7. Chapter 7

It wasn’t a sudden realization of what had happened that caused Hisui to bolt upright. Nor did Hisui awaken slowly, becoming steadily more aware of his surroundings as his mind attempted to process what had happened the past few hours. No, Hisui didn’t gasp with fear or cry for a familiar hand. In fact, Hisui thought little of his situation except ‘Ow, everywhere hurts’. His side hurt. His head hurt. His back hurt . HIs wrists hurt. Some places, like his head, had this pounding ache. Something that came in waves and each wave felt more intense than the last. Other parts, like his wrists, were much more of a slow burn. Just a constant pain that wasn’t unbearable, but was uncomfortable. But it was constant so it was easier to ignore than the pulsing that his head was doing. 

Hisui thought about opening his eyes and seeing what was going on. He thought that it might be good to let Ikuta know that he was at least awake. But, opening his eyes and moving didn’t sound like such a good idea. He wanted to sleep off the pain. So, Hisui made the active decision to groan, just in case anyone else was in the room, roll over, and snuggle back into the bed. 

There was another reason why Hisui didn’t want to wake up. He was fairly sure that Ikuta had managed to take him from Luka, but there was still a small part that was afraid. Too many times had Hisui hoped that someone would come and save him from that cage. Too many times had he dreamed of being rescued, of being able to live as a human and not as a doll. Too many times had he been disappointed when he woke up the next morning. He didn’t want the same thing to happen again. 

‘But,’ his mind supplied, ‘Ikuta has never left you before. You saw him come get you. You felt him hug you and carry you back to the ship. Surely that couldn’t be a dream.’ Hisui had to admit, the events he had in his head seemed really real. It could be possible that he didn’t dream the whole thing up. He did hear the sound of waves, hitting the side of a wooden ship. He thought he heard some of the crew outside. He thought he recognized the voices. All the years of learning not to trust people, all that time finding out the hard way that people were greedy and only looked out for themselves, was slowly being replaced by one puny pirate. 

Throughout this whole thought process, Hisui noticed that the side he was laying on was starting to ache. A rather uncomfortable, and quiet frankly painful, feeling, Hisui decided the best thing to do was to roll over. He would give this side a rest. Hisui groaned again, this time cursing how week his body was. He managed to flop himself over to his other side, except, there was someone already there. 

"Glad to see you're awake." Hisui recognized that voice. He would never forget what this man sounded like, what he felt like. It was the man who had pulled Hisui out of his prison. It was the man who had rescued him so many times that Hisui had embarrassingly lost count. 

Hisui cracked open his eyes and blinking them into focus. Next to him, Ikuta lay on his back, creating an area where Hisui had managed to roll onto, treating Ikuta as if he were a pillow, or an actual part of the bed. Unless Hisui was having a lucid dream, there was no doubt that he was on the ship, safe. Ikuta was with him. He didn’t leave Hisui to rot in another cage. He didn’t leave Hisui to become another plaything for a rich man who didn’t understand the concept of personal freedom. Hisui relaxed even more, allowing himself a moment to drink in the site. 

"This is your room?" Hisui said.

“Yeah, it is,” Ikuta said, looking around the room as if he didn’t realize where they were at until Hisui had pointed it out.

“Stupid bear,” Hisui muttered. He really was trying to feel annoyance at Ikuta’s antics, but his heart wouldn’t let him. Instead of feeling annoyed and wanting to stomp out of the room, Hisui wanted to clutch onto Ikuta’s shirt. He wanted to stay wrapped up in his embrace and never leave this room again. Ikuta, however, merely laughed. He smiled down at Hisui before carefully removing his arm from underneath Hisui’s neck. Ikuta sat up and stretched, giving a large yawn and running a hand through his hair. 

"Yeah, I kind of threw you in here after we got back to the ship. I figured it would be easier for Dom to work on you here rather than where you usually sleep. Less people, better lighting, you know," Ikuta said light-heartedly. He shifted on the bed so that his legs were hanging off the edge, but he was still facing Hisui. Hisui also tried to sit up, only to discover that his arms didn’t appear to want to hold his bodyweight. But, Ikuta was there, gently pulling Hisui up and into a sitting position. 

Once Hisui was safely resting against the wall, Ikuta smiled and began stroking Hisui’s hair. "Don't strain yourself. You're still recovering from a gunshot wound. Those usually take forever to fully recover from," he said. 

"I don't think that's a proper measurement of time," Hisui muttered. Ikuta laughed, his face lighting up with the comment. Hisui didn’t want to bring up anything that happened in the village. But he had to know. He had to know that this wouldn’t occur again. "What happened to Luka?" he asked. The part of his brain that was logical was screaming at him that he didn’t want or need to know. Hisui should be perfectly happy with his life here. But the other part wanted to see that Luka was punished. Or that Ikuta had done something to show the world that he cared about Hisui. The second reason was probably the bigger on. Hisui still had a small feeling that Ikuta was in on the entire thing. Hisui didn’t want to think about it like that. But he couldn’t help it. He was an awful human being who didn’t deserve anyone’s kindness.

"Well, we took him back to the ship and then made him row back to shore," Ikuta said casually. Hisui got the feeling he wasn't getting the entire story. It was in the way that Ikuta refused to meet Hisui’s eyes. It was in the way that he gave almost a too-quick explanation of events. Nevertheless, Hisui still relaxed instantly. He was on the ship. He was safe. He wasn’t going to be sold by these people. Then again, didn’t this happen at his old village?

"What's on your mind?" Ikuta asked. Hisui looked up at Ikuta, wondering what the man could mean. It was only when Ikuta reached over to wipe some tears away that Hisui realized he was crying. Hisui pushed Ikuta’s hand away and went to scrub his eyes. He debated saying nothing. But, he also wanted Ikuta to know the entire story. He wanted Ikuta to know everything. He also wanted to be reassured that nothing like that would ever happen again.

"I was just thinking about how they seemed to unwilling the first time around," Hisui said. He tried to reign back in the tears, but was having very little luck as with each word, more seemed to spill from his eyes. "But I think that was just a ploy. I think they pretended to be reluctant. They showed interest, but were trying to get a better price. The governor became more and more desperate, and continually raised the price until the people were satisfied. I remember the negotiations that I had to sit through. They made themselves seem so reluctant. I thought they were turning down the money in hopes that the governor would eventually gave up. But then, I became someone’s pet somewhere along the way.” Hisui explained. He was glad he hadn’t broke out into full on sobs, but he was pretty close. It was getting harder to breath and the tears didn’t seem to want to stop. Hisui didn’t even notice when Ikuta had slipped off the bed and poured some water. However, when he was done telling the story, there was a glass of water placed into his hands. 

Hisui looked at the cup questioningly. His brain struggling to understand what it was for.

“Drink, you’ll feel better,” Ikuta said softly. Hisui nodded before downing the entire cup quickly. The cool water soothed his throat and helped give him a chance to regain his composure. 

“Thank you,” Hisui said, finally managing to stop the tears that looked as though they would never end. 

"You know that I would never do that, right?" Ikuta asked. He was staring into Hisui’s eyes, never breaking eye contact as he went to grip Hisui’s shoulder. He seemed so earnest with his words. So honest. Hisui nodded. Deep down, he knew that Ikuta was better than those people who had helped keep him alive for years. But, when Luka had told Hisui Ikuta had left with money, Hisui couldn't help but partially believe it. He had been betrayed so many times. Though Ikuta had never appeared to want to sell Hisui, he had also never been offered money. He never had the option of negotiating his price. He would take Hisui back if someone stole him, but that was a different principle. 

"Hisui," Ikuta said, kneeling down and taking a hold of Hisui's hands. "I will never sell you. No matter how much money they offer. I don't care if it's enough to buy a continent. I don't care if they give me everything I ever wished for. I am not giving you up," he said strongly. His thumbs were rubbing the backs of Hisui’s hand, the rough palms scraping against Hisui’s smooth ones. Those words, spoken in such a way that no one would have been able to argue against it, caused Hisui to relax. Hisui leaned forward to rest his forehead on Ikuta’s shoulder. 

"I know. I'm sorry," he said. He wasn’t lying about that either. He didn't think it was fair of him to always judge Ikuta with the same eye that he had for the people in the village. Maybe at first, when Hisui didn’t really know Ikuta. But now, there had been more than enough evidence to prove Ikuta wasn’t like those people. They had helped Hisui survive. Ikuta had made it so he could thrive. 

"Did he give you any money, though?" Hisui asked. Luka may have been a horrible person, but he rarely lied. Why would he tell Hisui that he gave Ikuta money if he really hadn’t. Ikuta’s hands tightened around Hisui’s and his jaw clenched. Hisui was afraid he would crack a tooth with the amount of pressure he was putting on them. Hisui lifted his head and stared into Ikuta’s eyes. They were narrow and could probably catch something on fire, if Ikuta thought hard enough

"Oh they loaded up the ship alright. After they knocked out the crew, and me, they transported a good portion that they got for you last time onto the ship. It’s actually laughable that they would think money was what I wanted. To believe that money would make me leave you,” Ikuta snarled. 

"You seem really angry," he said. He didn’t know what to say to get Ikuta to calm down. 

"I'm pissed. I told them I wasn't going to sell you and they completely disregarded that. To have a pirate or criminal try and take you is one thing. But these people, they tried to bribe me. It’s disgusting. They are supposed to be upstanding citizens. They are supposed to follow the law and have a moral compass. If anything, I should be the one who’s caused you so much pain! I’m the criminal,” Ikuta cried. Hisui smiled and wrapped his arms around Ikuta's stomach. It was kind of nice to have someone so angry on his behalf. Ikuta moved to the bed and leaned against the wall. He sighed before enveloping Hisui’s body with his arms. One hand was running up and down Hisui’s back while the other hand was tangling his fingers in Hisui’s hair. "But you’re fine, right?" Ikuta asked. His voice was steady and quiet. His body was no longer clenched with anger. His breathing had become more even, the gentle up and down motions lulling Hisui back to sleep.

"Tired and sore, but yes. I feel fine," Hisui answered. 

“Good.” 

He felt more than fine, he felt great. He was on a ship of people who cared about him, not how pretty he was or how much money he could give them. He was glad Ikuta had taken him from the cage, forced him into the world and out into the sun. He was even kind of glad that the people of his village had sold him. If they hadn't, Hisui could still be living there. Treated like a freak, barely above the dogs that begged for table scrapes. He would have never been able to see the world with Ikuta. He would have never been happy. Here he was cared for, and, dare he say it, loved. There were people who were willing to fight for him, and he was willing to fight in turn. 

And it was all thanks to the people of his past. Sure he had suffered a great deal in the process. He was lonely, afraid, hungry, tired, and a whole list of adjectives, none of them happy. But right now, in the arms of the man who awes always reaching for him, Hisui was content. 

After a while, though, they broke apart. Each doing it reluctantly but both agreeing that it was necessary. Hisui had to rest and Ikuta had to command a ship. Now that Hisui knew he was safe, and Ikuta knew Hisui was alright, they could be apart for a little. Besides, Hisui could probably be up and about in a few days, if not a few hours. 

“I'll go tell the rest of the crew you're awake," he said, running his hand through Hisui's hair once more for good measure. Hisui grinned and watched Ikuta walk about the door. Within seconds he heard a stampeded across the deck as the men tried to pile into the small room to see Hisui. Some hugged him. Others merely patted him on the head. Wood lifted Hisui out of the bed and proceeded to carry him around the room in ecstasy . Jean hung onto him like a barnacle on the side of the ship, refusing to let go even after Yassen had told him too. And far away, in a small village where no one ever visited, the citizens were trying to explain to an angry captain of the navy how they managed to lose the mermaid.


End file.
